© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, March 2013

Bird name: Tree Pipit
Latin: Anthus trivialis
Other: Pipit des Arbres (Fr)
Family: Motacillidae • Pipits
Range: Europe, temperate Asia, migrating to India, Africa, incl Gambia
Similar: Meadow Pipit

Above a migrant Tree Pipit seen in Kartong, Gambia.

There's an art to differentiating Tree Pipits from Meadow Pipits - one that I do not claim to have mastered.

But the principal differences are that the Tree Pipit has a larger supercilium, (a thick white mark above the eye), with a whitish dot around the ear. The Meadow Pipit has a more strongly marked back - the Tree Pipit's is dull in comparison. The Tree Pipit has fine marks on the flanks. They both have pinkish legs, unlike the Water Pipit which has dark legs.

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Camargue Jan 2012

Bird name: Meadow Pipit
Latin: Anthus pratensis
Other: Pipit farlouse (Fr), Pipit des prés • Wiesenpieper (De) • Bisbita pratense (Es) • Pispola (It) • Graspieper (Nl) • Ängspiplärka (Sv) • Petinha-dos-prados (Pt)
Family: Motacillidae • Pipits
Range: Europe, Asia, North Africa
Similar: Water Pipit

Meadow Pipits seem fairly common on remote beaches on the South coast of France.

I saw dozens in the Camargue in January - every few yards along some beaches - with White Wagtails.

Difficult to differentiate the various types of Pipit, so treat ID with caution, but I understand the Meadow Pipit is the only one locally likely to inhabit beaches.
More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe, RS • November 2009

Bird name: Correndera Pipit
Latin: Anthus correndera
Other: Caminheiro-de-espora (Br) • Cachirla común (Es), Bailarín chico, Caminante, Agachadera
Family: Motacillidae • Pipits

The Correndera Pipit lives in southern South America, in Brazil including parts of Rio Grande do Sul and Parana. Here seen on wet pasture.

Note two striking white stripes on back, white throat, two well-defined stripes (malar and moustachial) running diagonally from bill, the latter has some dark marks on edges, and chest is strongly marked.

More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Mercantour, France • October, 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Water Pipit
Latin: Anthus spinoletta
Other: Pipit spioncelle
Family: Motacillidae • Pipits

This presumed Water Pipit was seen in the Mercantour at an altitude of about 2000 metres, in a waterlogged meadow with a mountain stream running through it, which is a typical location.

Water Pipits have dark legs whereas Meadow and Tree Pipits have light pinkish legs.More photos...

219 Motacillidae - Wagtails, Pipits - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Dendronanthus indicus - Forest Wagtail - E Eurasia - Asia

Motacilla flava - Western Yellow Wagtail - Widespread Eurasia - Asia, Africa
Motacilla tschutschensis - Eastern Yellow Wagtail - E Russia, NE China, Alaska
Motacilla citreola - Citrine Wagtail - Widespread Eurasia - Asia
Motacilla capensis - Cape Wagtail - SC, S Africa
Motacilla flaviventris - Madagascar Wagtail - Madagascar
Motacilla cinerea - Grey Wagtail - Widespread Eurasia - Asia, Africa
Motacilla clara - Mountain Wagtail - Widespread Africa
Motacilla alba - White Wagtail - Widespread Eurasia, also W Alaska - Asia, Africa
Motacilla aguimp - African Pied Wagtail - Widespread Africa
Motacilla samveasnae - Mekong Wagtail - NE Cambodia, S Laos
Motacilla grandis - Japanese Wagtail - Japan - Korea, Taiwan
Motacilla maderaspatensis - White-browed Wagtail - India

Tmetothylacus tenellus - Golden Pipit - E Africa

Macronyx sharpei - Sharpe's Longclaw - W Kenya
Macronyx flavicollis - Abyssinian Longclaw - Ethiopia
Macronyx fuellebornii - Fülleborn's Longclaw - SC Africa
Macronyx capensis - Cape Longclaw - S, SE Africa
Macronyx croceus - Yellow-throated Longclaw - Widespread Africa
Macronyx aurantiigula - Pangani Longclaw - E Africa
Macronyx ameliae - Rosy-throated Longclaw - SC, E, SE Africa
Macronyx grimwoodi - Grimwood's Longclaw - SC Africa

Anthus richardi - Richard's Pipit - C, E Eurasia - Asia
Anthus rufulus - Paddyfield Pipit - Widespread Asia, also Lesser Sundas & Sulawesi
Anthus australis - Australian Pipit - Australia
Anthus novaeseelandiae - New Zealand Pipit - New Zealand
Anthus cinnamomeus - African Pipit - E, C, S Africa
Anthus latistriatus - Jackson's Pipit - C Africa
Anthus hoeschi - Mountain Pipit - S, SC Africa
Anthus godlewskii - Blyth's Pipit - C Eurasia - India
Anthus campestris - Tawny Pipit - C, W Eurasia - Africa, S Asia
Anthus similis - Long-billed Pipit - Widespread Africa, Asia, also SC Asia
Anthus nyassae - Wood Pipit - SC Africa
Anthus vaalensis - Buffy Pipit - S, SC, E Africa
Anthus longicaudatus - Long-tailed Pipit - S, SC Africa
Anthus leucophrys - Plain-backed Pipit - Widespread Africa
Anthus pallidiventris - Long-legged Pipit - WC Africa
Anthus pratensis - Meadow Pipit - W Eurasia - N Africa
Anthus trivialis - Tree Pipit - Widespread Eurasia - India, Africa
Anthus hodgsoni - Olive-backed Pipit - C, E Eurasia - Asia
Anthus gustavi - Pechora Pipit - NC, NE Eurasia - Philippines to Lesser Sundas
Anthus roseatus - Rosy Pipit - SE, SC Eurasia
Anthus cervinus - Red-throated Pipit - N, NE Eurasia - Asia, Africa
Anthus rubescens - Buff-bellied Pipit - Canada, Alaska, NE Asia - S South America, Central America, Asia
Anthus spinoletta - Water Pipit - C, W, S Eurasia - N Africa
Anthus petrosus - Eurasian Rock Pipit - W coasts
Anthus nilghiriensis - Nilgiri Pipit - SW India
Anthus sylvanus - Upland Pipit - N Pakistan to SE China
Anthus berthelotii - Berthelot's Pipit - Madeira, Canary Islands - Tawny Pipit is sister species
Anthus lineiventris - Striped Pipit - SE, WC Africa
Anthus crenatus - African Rock Pipit - S Africa
Anthus brachyurus - Short-tailed Pipit - SC Africa
Anthus caffer - Bushveld Pipit - E, S Africa
Anthus sokokensis - Sokoke Pipit - E Kenya, NE Tanzania
Anthus melindae - Malindi Pipit - coastal Somalia & Kenya
Anthus pseudosimilis - Kimberley Pipit - C South Africa
Anthus chloris - Yellow-breasted Pipit - SE Africa
Anthus gutturalis - Alpine Pipit - New Guinea
Anthus spragueii - Sprague's Pipit - NC North America - S South America, Mexico
Anthus lutescens - Yellowish Pipit - Widespread South America, also W Panama
Anthus furcatus - Short-billed Pipit - SE, C Peru to NW Argentina
Anthus chacoensis - Campo Pipit - Paraguay to EC Argentina
Anthus correndera - Correndera Pipit - WC, Southern Cone
Anthus antarcticus - South Georgia Pipit - South Georgia Island
Anthus nattereri - Ochre-breasted Pipit - SE South America
Anthus hellmayri - Hellmayr's Pipit - SE, SE Peru to S Chile
Anthus bogotensis - Paramo Pipit - NW Venezuela to NW Argentina

Amaurocichla to wagtails (Motacillidae) ?
Amaurocichla bocagii - Sao Tome Shorttail - São Tomé Africa